South Korea’s Barunson E&A has boarded international sales of upcoming Indonesian horror Sorop, which it will launch at the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) in Busan.
The feature is directed and co-written by Upi, the Indonesian filmmaker behind 2022 superhero title Sri Asih, which was co-written and producer by Joko Anwar and screened at International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
Sorop has been co-written by SimpleMan, a social media creator renowned for writing numerous viral horror threads who has more than one million followers on X, formerly Twitter. The story first appeared on the platform in 2020.
The film follows siblings Hanif and Isti as they return to their hometown to visit their critically ill uncle. After his death, their grief is disrupted by eerie events, including their uncle’s reappearance, and the siblings set out to uncover the curse haunting them.
The cast includes Hana Malasan, Yasamin Jasem, Ratu Felisha and producer is Manoj Punjabi.
The film, which is due to receive a local theatrical release on December 19, is produced by Jakarta-based MD Pictures whose credits include KKN Curse Of The Dancing Village, the first and only Indonesian film to exceed 10 million admissions, becoming the highest-grossing local film of all time. Its prequel, Dancing Village: The Curse Begins, was released this year and was notable as the first filmed-for-IMAX feature ever producer in Southeast Asia.
Barunson E&A has also invested in the feature, marking its third investment in a non-Korean title since expanding into international co-production, financing and sales two years ago. The previous titles – action feature 13 Bombs and horror Respati – are also Indonesian, underscoring Barunson E&A’s growing presence in the country’s film industry. It landed sales of Respati in North America and throughout Asia among others.
Sylvie Kim, head of the international business unit at Barunson E&A, said: “Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed tremendous potential in Indonesian filmmakers and are confident that their stories can resonate with audiences worldwide. We’re excited to collaborate with MD Pictures, one of Indonesia’s most creative and powerful studios, and we hope this is just the start of a strong and lasting relationship.”
As well as the Indonesian titles, Barunson E&A has international sales rights to Vietnamese horror-comedy Don’t Cry, Butterfly, which won the grand prize and most innovative feature award at Venice Critics’ Week.
The ACFM is due to run from October 5-8.
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